"And they have been keeping the mission info from you... Bad intel should be a criminal offence as it is. So you can probably guess who they would leave behind..." The implications are pretty clear for elf girl, and what would you know, their team still has space for another 2 to teleport. The incentives for elf girl to turn to their side are very obvious if the offer is made. Amaryllis is the Princess and the paymaster though. So staffing decisions should be up to her.

"You know, I think you'd get along with Tova, she has very similar opinions about not getting the information you need. Not that she saw fit to share any with me. She's a bone mage, there to heal up Carter, the tank. He's soul-linked to take hits for her, as well as Quills the bladebound and Leonold the tattoo mage. No such link for me."

"Now, the place we're supposed to meet is between here and your corporate castle. Since they didn't bother to tell me who or what exactly they're looking for, I say it's their own fault if I decide to take the scenic route and show you to your destination first."

"Maybe once we've got the key I'll shoot them a message arrow to let them know I've made my own exit arrangements." She evidently relishes the thought of that petty payback.

Tanya shoots Amaryllis a look. Still up to her.

"To Sorian's Castle, then."

The corporate castle's first line of defense is a large gatehouse with a portcullis, but it has been broken through in one corner to allow passage. On the other side, there is a courtyard before the tower itself, infested with undead that have not exited through that gap.

"I'd suggest making a loud distraction to lead them away, but that might just end up drawing enough from surrounding areas to cause big ones to form."

"Another barrage into the courtyard would thin them out, but it would need to be an arcing shot to make enough arrows and that would be visible to my old colleagues. They're the ones you need to be worried about, in my opinion."

"If we had rope I could climb to one of the windows and lower it down for you. As it is, we may have to cut our way through. How does the interior compare?"

"No better than the outside, and my bow won't be much help inside. There's a reason I'm expecting the good loot to be left here."

"Probably a terrible Idea to start a fire indoors. should I use up all my fuel here?" Tanya's fire magic seems even less useful than magical bow skills when indoors. Being in a burning building sucks. Not something she is eager to experience yet again.

"Good thinking, assuming we won't need it when we get out of here." He's thinking of the vials of chemicals like spell slots, and his group was always averse to spending the last of those.

"Do we have time for a quick swordplay lesson? It could make a difference."

"Is that supposed to be innuendo, or is he really enough of a rank amateur that he'd benefit?"

"Juniper is a very fast learner."

"Look, you don't need to help or spectate, you can snipe some z- undead through the portcullis for a few minutes, we'd probably ask you to do that before we enter anyway."

"I'm not bad with a cavalry saber, It was part of the ceremonial uniform. I'm sure some lessons transfer over despite the difference in sword types." It's always good when subordinates take the initiative to pick up new skills.

"Thank you! Am-" He cuts himself off before giving away her identity, the couple of points he'd just put in INS to raise his skill caps alerting him to her tension. "Um, any objections, Cypress, if you join our new friend at the portcullis? Once the undead get too dense you can call for Tanya to clear them out."

'Cypress' nods and borrows the void pistol back.

"Fenn Greenglass, reporting for duty." She gives a sloppy salute, mostly to see if that annoys the apparently-military Tanya, then draws her bow to aim through the gaps in the portculls at the undead inside.

Well, if Fenn was under her command she would be annoyed. But insubordination is Amaryllis' problem. She takes Joons sword and shows him some basic forms.  Some from what the imperial academy taught her and from the Kendo lessons of a childhood LONG past in her first life. Then she hands it back to him to copy those actions.

As promised, he swiftly improves. It's not as quick as what she's seen of his development in combat, but after a few tries he's copying her movements well.

"That's fifteen to eight now. Do try to keep up, Cypress," can be heard from the portcullis.

... Gets better faster in real combat huh. "Defend yoursefl Joon!" She pulls out her knife and lunges at him, as if she really is about to stab him.

He's taken by surprise, immediately put on the defensive, but both his dodges and parries become noticeably more proficient within moments of trying to stop her attacks. He could just be recovering from the abruptness of her assault, or she could be right about how he gains skill.

Tanya is not going very easy on him, she nicks him with her knife across the cheek. "Don't wanna get cut? Then do better!" He will heal on the next level up anyway. Not that some healable wounds are something she wouldnt inflict on a trainee if it made them better. 

"That's a real knife! You could kill me!"

Skill increased: Dodge lvl 4!

Skill increased: Parry lvl 3!

She is definitely right about his skills developing faster with harsh training. The evidence is apparent to both of them. Joon does not look happy about the discovery.

'Cypress' seems entirely unconcerned. Perhaps she's seen training of a similar intensity before. 

"Tanya, we'll need your fire within a minute. They're starting to cohere."